AVID staff please help with this question???

[nst7]

When you register the 11 Rack hardware, you will get the Eleven AAX plugin, and Moogerfooger bundle.

When you register the Protools software, you will get Reverb One (formerly TDM only), and Tel Ray delay. Plus the upgrade to PT11.

[TruestPain]

Alright I definitely appreciate the feedback.


@Wombat... yes... Marsupials are awesome... but when they give dry answers to questions, they're hard to reason with. I do appreciate the efforst sir.


For those of you who suggested the 11 Rack bundle...

Actually... someone on here said that using USB is or is as equal to that of fire-wire? Especially on a mac (which I now have, thankfully in the mail).

All questions were pretty much answer on here, and I greatly appreciate it... I am probably going to just find a deal on either the 11 Rack with PT 10 / PT 11 upgrade and/or the PT 10 to PT 11 upgrade with the mbox pro.

I wanted to give use to the fire-wire.... although is there much of a difference either USB or firewire when you are using a mac?


Again thanks for the suggestions and answers. Very helpfull.

[jasonthurley]

If you just bought a new Mac than it comes with USB 3.0 which is faster than firewire 800... in a drive test USB 3.0 was reading/writing over 40Mb/s faster than firewire... 76 Mb/s for firewire and 109 Mb/s for USB 3.0).

[nst7]

The 11 rack will go down to a buffer of 64 on a Mac, and that will be the same low latency as a 64 buffer on a firewire interface

[TruestPain]

My mac is USB 3.0 and backwards compatible I believe. I have not yet put it into opperation as I am awaiting some more equipment coming first to do so.


So, my presently owned Mbox 2 mini is USB 2.0 only, and my mac being USB 3.0.... Will this increase the quality/speed ?

Or should I really consider upgrading my interface?


I could honestly deal with the interface I have, for now.... but I would like to upgrade my interface to have my settup look a little more professional, as well as more durable with other third party equipment.

Any suggestions is cool. Third party suggestions is also welcomed, does not have to be avid products.


P.S....... What interfaces that are out now that are in good review that are USB 3.0 and/or Thunderbolt?

[nst7]

There are hardly any USB 3 or Thunderbolt interfaces.

RME just announced a USB 3 interface a week ago. The only thing that might count as a Thunderbolt interface would be the UA Apollo with the $500 Thunderbolt card add-on.

If your interface is USB 2.0, that's the speed you'll get, even plugged into a USB 3.0 port.

The main advantage with USB 3.0 would be running external hard drives that have USB 3.0 ports for your audio and samples. You'll get more speed and bandwidth than you will from firewire drives.

But for interfaces, USB 2.0 has improved in the last few years, especially on newer interfaces, and it really performs as well as firewire at this point.

If you want to upgrade your interface, do so because you want better sound quality and/or more inputs and outputs. You'll still be using either firewire or USB 2.0 and that won't change.


I suggested the Eleven Rack because it's only $300 more than buying an upgrade to Protools 10/11, and it comes with the free upgrade to 11. Even if you buy a 3rd party interface, the Eleven Rack would still be very useful to have.

The Mbox 3 Pro would also be a good choice, as it comes with the free upgrade to 11 as well. The sound quality of that would also be a huge upgrade from your current Mbox 2 Mini.

[TruestPain]

Thank you for the input and ideas.

I have a good idea of where to go from here. Thanks again.